Position: catcher/ right field Bats: left Throws: right

Larry was born on May 25, 1939, the youngest of nine children raised in a country home - on a mini-farm just outside of Roanoke, Virginia. He attended school in Salem. As a young boy, Larry learned the ways of hard work. His daily chores of tending to the hog pens, chicken pens, and garden rows took hours to complete. By weeks end, Larry had had about all he could handle. His saving grace was to know that Saturday was all his - baseball from sun up to sun down. Sunday's were spent at church. He once tried to change into his play clothes after returning from church to squeeze in a little Sunday afternoon baseball - he quickly learned that by doing so he made himself available for doing chores around the farm - from that point forward he stayed dressed in his Sunday best all day long!

At the age of fourteen, Larry was anchored behind the plate for the local Webster All-Stars. In the spring of 1957, the Memphis Red Sox and the Birmingham Black Barons played a game in Salem, Virginia. Larry attended the game, spoke to a team scout, and requested a tryout after completing High School. Graduation came and he thought about making this Memphis journey. His decision to go had really been made a long time before this - one more summer in the hog pens would be unbearable. He knew he just had to make this team. He did, and his baseball career was on its way. In 1958 LeGrande joined the line-up of the Detroit Stars owner and fellow NLB Living Legend (remembered) Ted Rasberry. He was mostly a catcher, however, sometimes he played a little right field. The Kansas City Monarchs organization, also owned by Mr. Rasberry, brought Larry into town in 1959 where he caught for the legendary Satchel Paige. Later that season, LeGrande was called upon to play for the Yankees in the Florida State (minor) League. He was released later that same season and returned to the Kansas City Monarchs. As the 1961 season came around, Larry decided to barnstorm the countryside with his good friend Satchel Paige and his Satchel Paige All-Stars. They knocked down the miles and the teams they challenged along the way, from Nebraska through Wyoming and back to Kansas City.

In 1964, Larry chose to put down his baseball glove for a job with General Electric (GE) in Salem, Virginia. In 1996, he retired from GE after thirty-two years of service. He often looks back at his days in the Negro Leagues and in amazement chuckles, "from a cow pasture to Yankee Stadium."